U.S. President Barack Obama signs a series of executive orders about the administration's new gun law proposals as children who wrote letters to the White House about gun violence, Hinna Zeejah, Taejah Goode, Julia Stokes and Grant Fritz, look on in the Eisenhower Executive Office building January 16, 2013 in Washington, DC. One month after a massacre that left 20 school children and 6 adults dead in Newtown, Connecticut, the president unveiled a package of gun control proposals that include universal background checks and bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Photo: Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

U.S. President Barack Obama signs a series of executive orders...

U.S. President Barack Obama signs a series of executive orders... Photo-4040435.55238 - SFGate

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President Barack Obama gives high-fives to children who wrote letters to the White House about gun violence, (L-R) Taejah Goode, Julia Stokes and Grant Fritz, after announcing the administration's new gun law proposals in the Eisenhower Executive Office building, on January 16, 2012 in Washington, DC. One month after a massacre that left 20 school children and 6 adults dead in Newtown, Connecticut, the president unveiled a package of gun control proposals that include universal background checks and bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Photo: Mark Wilson, Getty Images

President Barack Obama gives high-fives to children who wrote...

President Barack Obama gives high-fives to children who wrote... Photo-4040669.55238 - SFGate

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Joined by children who wrote letters to the White House about gun violence, U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden announce the administration's new gun law proposals in the Eisenhower Executive Office building January 16, 2013 in Washington, DC. One month after a massacre that left 20 school children and 6 adults dead in Newtown, Connecticut, the president unveiled a package of gun control proposals that include universal background checks and bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Photo: Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

Joined by children who wrote letters to the White House about gun...

Joined by children who wrote letters to the White House about gun... Photo-4040430.55238 - SFGate

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U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden announce the administration's new gun law proposals in the Eisenhower Executive Office building January 16, 2013 in Washington, DC. One month after a massacre that left 20 school children and 6 adults dead in Newtown, Connecticut, the president unveiled a package of gun control proposals that include universal background checks and bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Photo: Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden announce...

U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden announce... Photo-4040439.55238 - SFGate

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President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, left, hugs eight-year-old letter writer Grant Fritz during a news conference on proposals to reduce gun violence, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, in the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington. Obama and Biden were joined by law enforcement officials, lawmakers and children who wrote the president about gun violence following the shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., last month.

President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, left, gets a high-five from eight-year-old letter writer Grant Fritz during a news conference on proposals to reduce gun violence, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, in the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington. Obama and Biden were joined by law enforcement officials, lawmakers and children who wrote the president about gun violence following the shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., last month.

President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, gestures as he talks about proposals to reduce gun violence, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, in the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington.

President Barack Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, pauses as he talked about proposals to reduce gun violence, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, in the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington.

Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre victim Grace McDonnell's parents, Chris and Lynn McDonnell attend a ceremony where U.S. President Barack Obama signed a series of executive orders laying out the administration's new gun law proposals in the Eisenhower Executive Office building January 16, 2013 in Washington, DC. One month after a massacre that left 20 school children and 6 adults dead in Newtown, Connecticut, the president unveiled a package of gun control proposals that include universal background checks and bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

President Barack Obama announces his administration's new gun law proposals in the Eisenhower Executive Office building January 16, 2013 in Washington, DC. One month after a massacre that left 20 school children and 6 adults dead in Newtown, Connecticut, the president unveiled a package of gun control proposals that include universal background checks and bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

President Barack Obama signature appears on one of several executive orders he signed as part of the administration's new gun law proposals in the Eisenhower Executive Office building January 16, 2013 in Washington, DC. One month after a massacre that left 20 school children and 6 adults dead in Newtown, Connecticut, the president unveiled a package of gun control proposals that include universal background checks and bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Photo: Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

President Barack Obama signature appears on one of several...

President Barack Obama signature appears on one of several... Photo-4040667.55238 - SFGate

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News photographers make images of the executive orders U.S. President Barack Obama signed regarding the administration's new gun law proposals in the Eisenhower Executive Office building January 16, 2013 in Washington, DC. One month after a massacre that left 20 school children and 6 adults dead in Newtown, Connecticut, the president unveiled a package of gun control proposals that include universal background checks and bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Acting Director of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Todd Jones (C) is applauded by US Attorney General Eric Holder (2nd R), US Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius (L) during an event unveiling a package of proposals to reduce gun violence at the White House in Washington, DC, January 16, 2013. Obama signed 23 executive orders to curb gun violence and demanded Congress pass as assault weapons ban, in a sweeping set of measures in response to the Newtown massacre.

US President Barack Obama speaks on proposals to reduce gun violence on January 16, 2013 in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House in Washington, DC. President Obama Wednesday will sign 23 executive actions to curb gun violence and demand Congress pass an assault weapons ban and other sweeping measures in response to the Newtown massacre. A senior official also said Obama would call on Congress to pass deeper measures, including bans on high-capacity magazine clips of more than 10 rounds and to prohibit armor-piercing bullets.

Photo: MANDEL NGAN, AFP/Getty Images

US President Barack Obama speaks on proposals to reduce gun...

US President Barack Obama speaks on proposals to reduce gun... Photo-4040428.55238 - SFGate

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US President Barack Obama signs executive orders with Vice President Joe Biden and invited guests during an event unveiling a package of proposals to reduce gun violence at the White House in Washington, DC, January 16, 2013. Obama signed 23 executive orders to curb gun violence and demanded Congress pass as assault weapons ban, in a sweeping set of measures in response to the Newtown massacre.

US President Barack Obama waves after signing executive orders to curb gun violence as Vice President Joe Biden greets an attendee on January 16, 2013 in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House in Washington, DC. The woman is a parent of a child who wrote to Obama following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings.